Liee-boat-securing device



J. J. HUNKELER.

LIFE BOAT SECURING DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3.1919 v 1,321,746. Patented Nov. 1 1, 1919.

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, J. J. HUNKE'LER.

LIFE BOAT SECURING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-3.19M.

1,321,746. 1 Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR.

' rltlHuu xkeler ATTIORNEY. 1

1.]. HUNKELER.

LIFE BOAT SECURING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a. 19m.

1,32 l ,746. Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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JULIUS J. HUNKELER, 0F FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN.

LIFE-BOAT-SECURING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

Application filed March 3, 1919. Serial N 0. 280,220.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS J. HUNKELER, a citizen of Switzerland, residing at Fond du Lac, in the coimty of Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boat- Securing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life boats, particularly to attachments therefor, and has for its object the provision of means for securing the life boats upon the deck of a ship whereby the boat will be effectively held against displacement, this means being quickly and easily releasable from engagement with the boat whereby to permit ready launching thereof.

An important and more specific object is the provision of securing means in the nature of a cover engageable over the top of the life boat and having associated there with a cable one end of which is secured to the deck of a ship and the other end of which is detachably and adjustably connected with a clamping member secured to the deck of a ship, the adjustability of the clamping member enabling the desired tension to be put upon the cover for holding the boat firmly in position upon the deck and the detachability of the cable connection with the clamping member permitting the cover to be almost instantly released from engagement with the boat whereby the boat may be quickly and easily launched.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive in manufacture and installation, highly efficient and durable in use, labor saving in its ease of operation, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in View, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a life boat showing my device applied.

Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the cable engaging member at one end of the device.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan View of the clamping member at the other end of the device.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section therethrough.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 7. r

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the slid ing block, showing the lever thereon raised to cable releasing position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the letter A designates a portion of the deck of a ship upon which are secured spaced blocks B recessed upon their upper faces for the reception of the life boat C.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a cover 10 formed of canvas or other suitable material, though woven wire may be employed if found preferable, of a size and shape to fit over the open top of a life boat. At its edge, the cover 10 is provided with a series of rings 11 through which is trained cable 12 at each side of the boat. At one end, the cables 12 are secured to rings 13 mounted upon the deck A at a point spaced from the end of the boat 0.

In order that the cables 12 may be prevented from separation, adjacent one end of the cover 10, I provide a holding member designated broadly by the numeral 14: and comprising a pair of tubular members 15, which may be pipe sections, secured together in spaced relation by clamping members 16. The cables 12 pass through the tubular members 15 and these tubular members have their ends curved as shown at 17 to prevent chafing of the cables.

In order that tension may be placed upon the cables 12, I provide a clamping device designated broadly by the numeral 18 and comprising an elongated body 19 provided with a longitudinally extending dove-tailed groove 20 within which is slidable a block 21 from which extends a threaded stem 22 passing through an apertured ear 23 in one end of the body 19. The portion of the stem 22 which projects beyond the ear 23 is provided with a hand wheel 24 threaded thereon and is also provided with a lock nut 25. By manipulating the hand wheel 24:, the block 21 may be moved longitudinally with respect to the body 19. The body 19 has connected therewith a rod 26 which is in turn pivotally connected with a ring 27 secured upon the deck A whereby the clamping device will be permanently associated with the deck. Formed on the top of the block 21 are spaced ears 28 between which is pivotally mounted a lever 29 from the lower side of which projects a stud 30 disposable within a recess 31 in the block. The end of the block adjacent the recess 31 is provided with a pair of sockets 32 within which are disposable squared blocks 33 attached to the other ends of the cables 12 and provided with holes 34 for engagement of the studs 30.

The operation of the device is as follows: In order to secure the life boat C upon the deck A it is first necessary to engage the cover 10 over the top of the boat, after which the eables12 are threaded through the rings 11 at the sides of the cover, it being understood that the cables pass through the spacing and holding member 14 at one end of the cover. The-clamping member 18 is then raised into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the squared blocks 33 on the other ends of the cables are inserted within the sockets 32 formed in the sliding block 21, after which the lever 29 isswung onto the sliding block 21 with the studs 30 extending through the holes 34. The cables 12 will thus be associated with the clampin member 18. The operator then grasps the hand wheel 24 and rotates the same to move the sliding 7 block 21 along the body 19 so as to place the cables 12 under tension. The pressure of the cover 10 upon the top of the boat will then hold the boat firmly in position upon the blocks D so that any possible displacement of the boat will be prevented. When it'is desired'to use the boat, it .is merely necessary that the operator grasp the lever 29 and swing the same upon its pivot to disengage the studs 30 from the holes 34 in the blocks'33 at the ends of the cables. The cables will thus be disconnected from the clamping member and the cover 10 may be easily and quickly stripped from the boat so as to permit launching thereof.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided an extremely simple device whereby a life boat may be securely held upon the deck of a ship and which is so constructed and arranged that a single operator may quickly and easily remove the securing device so that the boat may be launched in the least possible time.

IVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it. will of course be readily understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention nor the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim 1. Means for securing a life boat upon the deck of a ship, comprising a cover engaging over the top of the boat, cables connected with said cover and extending along the sides thereof, said cables being connected at one end with the deck, and means for detachably connecting the other ends of said cables with the deck, said last named means being adjustable whereby to apply tension upon said cables.

2. Means for securing a life boat upon the deck of a ship, comprising a cover engaging over the top of the boat, cables connected with said cover and extending along the sides thereof, said cables being connected at one end with the deck, a clamping member including a body connected with said deck, a sliding block mounted on said body and detachably connected with the other ends of said cables, and means for moving said sliding block longitudinally with respect to said body whereby to exert tension upon said cables.

3. Means for securing a life boat upon the deck of a ship, comprising a cover engageable over the top of the boat, cables connected with and extending along the sides of said cover and connected at one end with the deck, a clamping member including a body connected with the deck, a block slidable longitudinally of said body and provided with a pair of sockets, blocks secured upon the other ends of said cables and disposed within said sockets, said last named blocks being provided with holes, a lever pivoted upon said sliding block, studs projecting from the underside of said lever and engageable through said holes for holding said cables associated with said sliding block and for adjusting said blocks longitudinally with respect to said body whereby to exert tension upon said cables.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JULIUS J. HUNKELER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, I). C. 

